Mr. Séamas Ó Tuathail:

The Deputy said that it is a straightforward amendment in respect of the issue it is intended to carry home. I will not go into any other controversies but unintended consequences can be dealt with through subsequent referenda. Here we have a public that has been battered by the bank crisis and various privatisations that have gone wrong for them in many respects. The public is simply asking for the reassurance of being allowed to vote on the matter. The referendum must be carried under Article 47 if it is to be successful. We are not dealing with the whim of a future Government. We are dealing with the worries of the current population.